ACLU joins lawsuit challenging Springfield exposure law

SPRINGFIELD (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union is joining some Springfield residents in a federal lawsuit challenging a new indecent exposure ordinance in Springfield.

The ACLU of Missouri argues in the lawsuit filed this week in federal court in Springfield that the new law could be interpreted to prohibit breastfeeding in public. The organization says the ordinance also unfairly targets women and conflicts with state law.

The Springfield News-Leader reports the city council voted in August to make the indecent exposure ordinance stricter, requiring more of the female breast and all buttocks to be covered.

Springfield Mayor Bob Stephens says he wasn't aware of the lawsuit, but he says he wasn't surprised the lawsuit had been filed because he was already questioning the legality of the ordinance.